Temptation GOD'S LOVING PRESENCE
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21.
"As a shield from temptation and an inspiration to purity and truth, no other influence can equal the sense of God's presence."--Education, p. 255. Are you having problems with sin in your life? One of the real reasons behind that could be that you don't sense God's presence, for if we did sense His loving presence, we would have a mighty shield against temptation.
Perhaps it sounds mystical, ethereal, that Jesus can be more real to us than He was to the disciples when He walked the dusty roads of Galilee. But it is true. John 14:21 makes it very clear that He loves us and will manifest Himself to us. And this sense of His presence is our shield against temptation and sin. As we make the deliberate choice to continue the daily relationship with Jesus, He will then lead us more and more into the constant realization of His presence.
I used to come home from school and head for the cookie jar. Have you ever done that? (I think they were molasses cookies with wheat germ!) Of course, I'd go for the cookie jar because I was hungry. Now I'm paying for my past because I have children of my own that I have had to try to keep out of the...apple bin! But when Mother was in the kitchen, with her loving presence, I suddenly had no problem keeping out of the cookie jar. However, Mother could be in the kitchen only sometimes. She wasn't there when she was in the basement or out in the yard or upstairs. But God, through His angels and His Holy Spirit, can be everywhere present. There's not a place where we can flee, but God is present there. If only we realized this every moment, it would make all the difference, wouldn't it?
And it's God's loving presence that is constantly surrounding us. It isn't a condemning presence. Fear will keep you from robbing a bank when the policemen are there. Fear will keep you from impropriety with your friend in the park, when the moon is shining and Father and Mother drive up behind you. Fear will prevent many things. But the presence of God that shields us is His loving presence. It's real. It is the loving presence of Jesus that gives power for overcoming and victory.
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21.
"As a shield from temptation and an inspiration to purity and truth, no other influence can equal the sense of God's presence."--Education, p. 255. Are you having problems with sin in your life? One of the real reasons behind that could be that you don't sense God's presence, for if we did sense His loving presence, we would have a mighty shield against temptation.
Perhaps it sounds mystical, ethereal, that Jesus can be more real to us than He was to the disciples when He walked the dusty roads of Galilee. But it is true. John 14:21 makes it very clear that He loves us and will manifest Himself to us. And this sense of His presence is our shield against temptation and sin. As we make the deliberate choice to continue the daily relationship with Jesus, He will then lead us more and more into the constant realization of His presence.
I used to come home from school and head for the cookie jar. Have you ever done that? (I think they were molasses cookies with wheat germ!) Of course, I'd go for the cookie jar because I was hungry. Now I'm paying for my past because I have children of my own that I have had to try to keep out of the...apple bin! But when Mother was in the kitchen, with her loving presence, I suddenly had no problem keeping out of the cookie jar. However, Mother could be in the kitchen only sometimes. She wasn't there when she was in the basement or out in the yard or upstairs. But God, through His angels and His Holy Spirit, can be everywhere present. There's not a place where we can flee, but God is present there. If only we realized this every moment, it would make all the difference, wouldn't it?
And it's God's loving presence that is constantly surrounding us. It isn't a condemning presence. Fear will keep you from robbing a bank when the policemen are there. Fear will keep you from impropriety with your friend in the park, when the moon is shining and Father and Mother drive up behind you. Fear will prevent many things. But the presence of God that shields us is His loving presence. It's real. It is the loving presence of Jesus that gives power for overcoming and victory.
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